Washing-machine gearing.



W. H. V088.

WASHING MACHINE GEARING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28,1913.

Patented May 15, 191 7.

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H W. H. VOSS.

WASHING MACHINE GEARING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1913.

In W mm t QM m y d Z n m 7% t WILLIAM H. VOSS, F DAVENPORT, IOWA.

WASHING-M'ACI-TINE GEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented May f5, 1917.

Application filed .Tune 28, 1913. Serial No. 776,386.

To all when it may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Voss, a citizen of the United States, residing in Davenport, county of Scott, State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in WVashing-Machine Gearings, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a washing and wringing mechanism suitable for driving mechanism and adapted for convenient and economical cleansing and handling of the clothes.

The machine is of the platform type and in addition to the washing machine tub has provision for the use of one or more portable tubs. The wringer mechanism is mounted to slide along the platform so that clothes may be wrung directly from the washing machine tub into a second tub, or from the second tub into a third.

The gear connection from the source of power to the washing machine agitator is of novel construction, embodying advantageous features which will be made apparent by the detailed description, and the gearing connections to the wringer are also of novel type, including reversing means through which the wringer rolls may be driven either forward or backward or whereby they may be stopped, and all of this irrespective of the position of the wringer frame along the support on which it slides.

Other advantages and objects of my invention inherent in its construction will become clear from the following detailed description, which is to be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete machine.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the platform showing the wringer frame in elevation.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the platform showing the driving connections for the agitator.

Fig. 4 is a detail of the reversing clutch of the wringer.

Fig. 5 shows the combined crank and clutch through which power is delivered to the agitator.

Fig. 6 illustrates the upper end of the vertical drive shaft through which the wringer rolls are driven.

Fig. 7 is a detail of the handle lock used for controlling the setting of the wringer reverse clutch.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings the washing machine tub 1, is of usual construction and is equipped with an agitator or dolly having suitable gear connection with a horizontal rock shaft 2, which projects beyond the edge of the tub cover and carries a pinion 3, protected by an over-hanging guard 4:- This pinion 3 together with its shaft 2 swings up and down with the cover and when in their lowermost position the pinion meshes with a swinging segmental rack 5, (Fig. 3), an outwardly projecting arm 6, of which is connected through a link 7 with a crank 8, slidingly mounted on the round end of the main power shaft 9 of the machine, this crank carrying a clutch face 10, for engagement with a pin 11, secured in the power shaft 9. A swinging hand lever 12 with a yoke at its lower end carries pins 13, engaging in an annular slot in the crank member and may be used for shifting the crank along the power shaft 9 to throw its clutch into or out of driving relation to the pin 11.

The power shaft 9 is driven preferably by means of a sprocket wheel 14 keyed thereon and equipped with a sprocket chain 15 driven by a small sprocket 17 mounted on a short auxiliary shaft 19 to which a belt wheel 20 may be attached. A gas engine or an electric motor may be used for driving the belt wheel 20 or, if desired, an electric motor may be otherwise connected to drive shaft 9.

Power delivered in suitable manner to power shaft 9 will serve to turn crank 8, as suming that this crank has been slipped into driving relation with pin 11, and the crank will push and pull on link 7 and so will swing se mental rack 5 and thus impart the to and fro movement to the agitator within the tub. The tub cover can be opened at any time without stopping the power shaft, for not only can the cover be lifted to effec tively disengage the connection between pinion a and gear 5, but the hand lever 12 can be shifted to disconnect crank 8 from the power shaft, leaving that power shaft free to turn without any action on the agitator.

The mechanism above disclosed is all carried at one end of a platform which may be built up in rectangular form from angle iron with a wooden top whereon the tubs Cir may rest. The power shaft 9 preferably extends the full length of the platform support though the part 21 remote from the washing machine tub is preferably of square-cross-section connected with the part 9 of round cross-section by a suitable coupling 22. At one side of the platform is an angle iron 23 forming a flat track and on the opposite side is a flat strip 2twith its upper edge positioned to form a track for grooved wheels. Slidingly mounted on the rails 23 and 2 1 is a wringer supporting frame made up of side brackets and 26, the upper ends of which may be connected by a wooden cross-bar 27 adapted to sup port the wringer, having roller shafts 28 and 29 of usual construction with tension devices and gear driving connections as in ordinary wringers.

The shaft of the lowermost wringer roll 29 is extended into a housing 30 and is pro vided with a bevel gear 31 (Fig. 6) which permanently meshes with a bevel gear 32 carried on the upper end of a substantially vertical drive shaft 33. The lower end of this vertical shaft 33 carries a bevel pinion 3% which continually meshes with a pair of pinions 35 and 36 both of which are free to turn on a horizontal drive shaft 37 and both of which can be shifted simultaneously and while still in mesh with gear 3%. to bring their inner notched hubs into driving engagement with a clutch member 38 rigidly pinned to shaft 37 and rotating therewith.

- This group of three bevel gears is contained.

in a housing 39 which shifts with the gears when either is to be thrown into or out of driving connection with the clutch member 38, there being a pivotal connection at 40 between housing 39 and a sleev ll inclosing the lower end of shaft 33. As a means for shifting the housing 39 with its three bevel gears there is provided a short lever l2 the upper rounded end 4E3 of which fits snugly in a socket in the lower portion of the housing, the lever being pivoted to a bracket 41 1 rigidly mounted to the metal frame of the platform. livotally connected to the lowe end of lever 42 is a bar 45 which extends across to the other side of the frame and is there pivotally connected at 4:6 to the lower corner of bent lever L7, this bent lever swinging from a pivotal center 18 and having pivotal connection at 419 with a vertical control bar which extends up to the top of the tub and is there bent laterally and provided with a control handle 51. The outer end of the cross-bar is shaped to form a foot treadle and a coil spring adjustable in tension by changing it from one hole to another along the bar normally pulls cross bar away from lever 452 and so tends to hold the wringer reversing gears in position for driving the wringer rolls backward. By pushing down on treadle 52 the reversing mechanism may be shifted to neu tral position, thereby stopping the wringer rolls, and by pushing it still farther down i the direction of rotation may be reversed. This shifting movement of housing 39 necessitates the swinging of vertical shaft 33 through a short are and to permit this the upper end of shaft 33 is mounted on a pair of lugs 54 engaging with sockets on housing 30 to allow a slight swinging movement of shaft 33 with respect to that housing and with respect to gear 31, but without disengaging gear 32 from 31 when that swing occurs.

The vertical control rod 50 acts as a thrust bar to keep bent lever 47 from swinging up under the pull of spring 53 on cross-bar 4L5, v

and to govern this movement the upper bent end of rod 50 fits in a slot in a guide casting 55. The lower portion 56 of that slot is horizontal so that when handle 51 is swung to the right rod 50 will be locked against upward movement and the wringer reversing clutch will be in driving position. To stop the wringer it is only necessary to swing handle 51 far enough to disengage the bar from slot 56 and thereupon the control bar 50 will jump up until it strikes against the shoulder 57 of the slot, where it will stop, this corresponding with the neutral position of the reversing mechanism and the stationary or inactive connection at the wringer rolls. To run the wringer rolls the other way handle 51 is then turned to the left and slips up through the upper portion 58 of the slot allowing a still further movement of bent lever47 and of the sliding bevel gears in housing 39.

The bar 50 is adjustably connected to the link which is pivotally connected as at f9 to the bent lever. The lower end of the bar 50 rests within a socket formed within the said link and a coiled spring 59 is interposed between the link and an annular flange carried by the bar whereby the treadle'52 may be operated without operating the bar 50, but when the bar 50 is forced downwardly it will press against the spring 59 thereby operating the bent lever and the treadle for the purpose as before described. The treadle can be moved down to shift the clutch one position even though control bar 50 and its carries with it all of the wringer driving shafts, including the gear mechanism whereby those shafts are operatively connected with square end 21 of the power shaft under the platform. That gear mechanism includes a pair of bevel gears 60 and 61 the latter of which has a square center and is supported upon a suitable bracket and moves with the wringer frame when the frame is shifted along its track.

In the embodiment here shown the rollers 62 for one side of the wringer frame have a smooth periphery and are seated on the flat lower face of angle bar 23 while the opposite rollers 63 are grooved to fit over the upper edge of bracket 44 thereby insuring the frame against lateral displacement. Guide rollers 6a suitably positioned under the tracks insure the wringer frame from tipping over.

Clothes washed in the tub 1 can be wrung directly from that tub into a portable tub supported on the platform and then the wringer frame can be shifted along to wring those cla hes into a third tub or into a basket, and by making the platform of very considerable length any desired number of tubs or baskets may be placed thereon for carrying out the series of operations of washing, bluing, and the like.

Various details of the mechanism here disclosed may be changed and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

1. In a gearing device, the combination of a support, a power shaft mounted on said support lengthwise thereof, a frame positionod to slide along said support, a pair of driven shafts carried by said frame, operative driving connections between said power shaft and said driven shafts and irrespective of the position of said frame on said support, and a foot treadle for establishing or interrupting said driving connections at the will of the operator.

2. In a gear mechanism, the combination of a support, gearing devices movable along said support, a frame carried by said support and sliding with respect thereto, a pair of driven shafts carried by said frame, driving connections including a swinging rotatable shaft between said driven shafts and said gearing devices, and a treadle movable with said frame and operatively connected to interrupt the driving connection to the driven shafts at the will of the operator.

3. In a gearing mechanism of the class described, the combination of a support, a power shaft extending lengthwise of sa d support, a frame slidingly mounted on said support, a pair of driven shafts carried by said frame, a substantially vertical shaft geared to one of said driven shafts and movable with said frame, and a horizontal shaft also movable with said frame, but operatively connected at all times with said power shaft, and means for making or breaking effective mechanical connection between said horizontal shaft and said vertical shaft to start or stop said driven shafts when the power shaft is rotated.

4. In a gearing of the class described, the combination of a power shaft, a bevel gear slidable along said shaft, a horizontal shaft driven by said bevel gear, a swinging vertical shaft operable by said horizontal shaft, and reversing mechanism interposed between said horizontal shaft and said vertical shaft, a pair of horizontal driven shafts operatively connected with said vertical shaft, and a frame- Whereon said driven shafts, said vertical shaft and said horizontal shaft are carried.

5. In a gear mechanism, the combination of a frame, a pair of driven shafts carried by said frame, a vertical shaft connected to one of said driven shafts, a horizontal shaft also carried by said frame, reversing mechanism for operatively connecting said horizontal shaft with said vertical shaft, a foot lever pivoted to said frame and connections between said lever and said reversing mechanism, whereby the driven shafts may be started, stopped, or reversed, at the will of the operator.

6. The combination of a support, a power shaft extending lengthwise of said support and having a square portion, a frame mounted on wheels to slide along said support, a pair of driven shafts carried by said frame, a vertical shaft operatively connected to one of said driven shafts and hung to swing through a short arc, gear mechanism slidingly mounted on said power shaft, a horizontal shaft driven thereby and reversing gears operatively connecting said horizontal shaft with said swinging shaft, the driving relation of those gears being altered when said vertical shaft is swung through its short are.

7. The combination of a support, a power shaft carried by said support and having a square portion, gear mechanism mounted to slide along said power shaft and driven thereby, a horizontal shaft driven by said gear mechanism, reversing gears operatively connected with said horizontal shaft, a frame mounted to slide along said support, driven shafts carried on said frame, a vertical shaft movable with said frame and operative to connect said horizontal shaft with one of said driven shafts, and control means movable with said frame for swinging said ver tical shaft through a short are to change the geared relation between the horizontal shaft and the vertical shaft in starting, stopping or reversing the movement of said driven shafts.

8. In a gearing device, the combination of a support, a power shaft mounted on said support lengthwise thereof, a frame positioned to slide along said support, a pair of driven shafts carried by said frame, oper- In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe atlve drlvlng connections between said power my name to this specification 1n the presence shaft and said driven shafts and irrespective of two Witnesses.

of the position of said frame on said snp- WILLIAM H. VOSS. port, and means including a foot treadle for Vfitnesses:

establishing or interrupting said driving con- VVlLLIAM E. PULs,

nections at the Will of the operator. GEORGE W. CARDINAL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

